US and European Countries Use Social Media to Boost Tourism and Generate Billions

Countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany and Luxembourg tapped social media tourism strategies in 2024 to expand their travel sectors. By using targeted advertising on Meta's platforms—Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp—these markets converted online engagement into substantial economic gains and employment across the tourism ecosystem.

Economic impact: billions in revenue and jobs supported

Analysis for 2024 indicates that advertising on Meta platforms made a measurable economic contribution in key markets. In the United States, Meta-driven advertising supported $5.6 billion of GDP. Across the EU27 the contribution was $3.7 billion, while the UK saw $0.7 billion attributed to this advertising activity.

The effect extended to employment: Meta advertising directly supported approximately 46,000 jobs in the U.S., 45,000 jobs in the EU27 and 9,000 roles in the UK, underscoring the platforms’ role in sustaining tourism-related livelihoods.

How Meta reaches travellers across the decision journey

Meta’s channels influence every part of the travel decision process: from sparking inspiration and helping with planning to enabling post-trip sharing and reviews. In January 2024, 77% of the digital population in major outbound travel markets and 88% of visitors to travel websites engaged with Meta platforms, demonstrating the networks’ extensive reach.

Eight strategic recommendations for tourism organisations

• Harness the Power of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Use AI to refine targeting, personalize campaigns and scale advertising efficiencies.
• Promote a Unified National Narrative: Build a consistent, compelling country or destination story across Meta’s channels to strengthen brand recognition.
• Leverage the Creator Effect: Collaborate with creators to access authentic voices and extend reach in target audiences.
• Strengthen User Engagement Through Messaging: Use messaging tools for personalised support, recommendations and conversions.
• Diversify Creative Content: Experiment with formats—from carousel ads to immersive videos—to capture attention.
• Embrace Short Form Video (Reels): Produce dynamic Reels to reach younger, highly engaged users and boost awareness.
• Tap into Emerging Technologies (AR/VR): Offer virtual previews or immersive experiences to deepen interest in destinations.
• Adopt a Data Driven Approach: Use analytics to guide spend and optimise campaign performance across the travel funnel.

Why platforms matter to destination marketing

Meta’s advertising ecosystem gives tourism organisations multiple touchpoints to reach travellers. With AI-driven targeting, creator partnerships and immersive formats, destinations can convert online attention into bookings and longer-term destination appeal. The measurable GDP and employment figures from 2024 highlight the commercial value of these digital investments.

Implications for travel businesses and policymakers

For travel operators, DMOs and governments, the findings suggest that integrating Meta’s ad tools with data analytics, creator collaborations and emerging tech can produce measurable returns. Policymakers seeking to maximise tourism’s economic contribution should consider digital literacy, support for creative industries and investment in measurement frameworks to amplify impact.

So what? For travellers and industry stakeholders, this means digital platforms will continue to shape how destinations are discovered and sold. Travel businesses that adopt AI, varied creative formats and direct messaging stand to gain visibility and bookings, while destinations that neglect these channels may miss opportunities to reach key markets.